Homer High school students attended the Alaska Tsunami Ocean Sciences Bowl competition in Seward on Feb. 26-28, taking home six awards in their events. The Ocean Bowl consists of eight events, of which Homer competed in five. 

The competition focuses on topics related to the study of the oceans and allows the winner to continue on to compete against other regional teams from all over the United States.

Homer students Cody Bond, Nolan Bunting, Landon Bunting, Jay-Mason Davis and Kalen Molodih placed fourth overall in the quiz bowl competition, after going into the elimination round in sixth place out of 19 teams. The teams that beat them in the quiz bowl were a team from Mat-Su Career and Technical High School and two teams from Juneau-Douglas High School, both of which have classes to prepare their Ocean Bowl teams, said Homer High Ocean Bowl Coach Lauren Seaton.

The students completed a 15-page research page by Dec. 1 titled “When the Big Wave Comes: Saving Homer’s Spit.” Homer High student and Ocean Bowl teammate Galen Lyon contributed to the paper and preparations for the competition, but was unable to attend due to unexpected illness, according to a press release from The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.

The team presented the paper at the competition, discussing how the Homer Spit could rebound from a tsunami and how the Spit can be protected. The team placed fourth for the paper and took second for their presentation. 

The students also competed in the remote-operated vehicle (ROV) challenge and took first place. Landon and Nolan took second and third, respectively, for their entries in the photography section.  

The Homer team began training for the Ocean Bowl competition in mid-October with Seaton and Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Marine Debris & S.T.E.M. Educator Lean Thon, according to the press release.

Anna Frost can be reached at anna.frost@homernews.com.